Category: Entertainment

Tired of your usual lineup for a weekend movie marathon? Why don’t you watch these long operas to test your endurance?

Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg by Richard Wagner
It tells about the guild of master singers, poets, and musicians in Nuremberg who were also skilled at other crafts and trade.

Der Ring des Nibelungen by Richard Wagner
This four-part opera clocks in a total of 15 hours and is made up of the following operas, usually performed separately: Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, Siegfried, and Götterdämmerung. It is based on the Nibelungenlied and the Norse sagas connected to it.

Tristan und Isolde by Richard Wagner
The story is based on Gottfried von Strassburg’s Tristan about two people who fell in love despite unbelievable circumstances. You might also be familiar with the story of Sir Tristan of the knights of the round table.

The Fairy-Queen by Henry Purcell and William Shakespeare
The is the operatic adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and is perhaps Purcell’s final work as a composer.

Tannhauser und der Sangerkrieg auf Wartburg by Richard Wagner
The story, sometimes shortened into Tannhauser, is inspired by two tales, the story of the poet Minnesanger and the Wartburg Song Contest.

Tamerlano by George Frideric Handel and Nicola Francesco Haym
The story features Tamerlane, the Tartar emperor and is taken from the story Tamerlano by Agostin Piovene.

Semiramide by Gioachino Rossini and Gaetano Rossi
Maybe you’re heard of the Assyrian Semiramis and Voltaire’s work Semiramis, which both inspired this opera, Rossini’s final work.

Radamisto by George Frideric Handel and Nicola Francesco Haym
This opera was based on two stories and was also inspired by the Annals of Imperial Rome by Tacitus.

Pelleas et Melisande by Claude Debussy and Maurice Maeterlinck
Based on the play of the same title, it is a tale of three people, Pelleas, Melisande and Golaud, locked in a love triangle.

Lohengrin by Richard Wagner
This opera is inspired by another knight from the Arthur tales, Parzival, and the sequel Lohengrin, which was taken from the epic Garin le Loherain.

Linda di Chamounix by Gaetano Donizetti and Gaetano Rossi
In this story, the Marquis of Boisfleury is attracted to Linda, who was in love with a poor artist named Carlo.

La Cenerentola by Gioacino Rossini and Jacopo Ferretti
This opera was inspired by one of Charles Perrault’s stories, “Cendrillon,” better known as Cinderella in popular culture.

Giulio Cesare in Egitto by George Frideric Handel and Nicola Francesco Haym
It is partly based on the events of the Roman Civil War and centers on the exploits of Julius Caesar at that time.

Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi, Joseph Mery and Camille du Locle
From the title, the story is based on the life of the Prince of Asturia, Carlos, who was supposed to be married to Elisabeth of Valois to end a war.